Overflow-pipe for refrigerator-tanks



liivrra grates PATENT Orrrcn.

DENNIS IV. RIORDAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

OVERFLOW-PIPE FOR REFRIGERATOR-TANKS.

EJPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 350,944, dated October 19, 1886. Application filed October-24, 1855. Serial No. 180.880. (X0 mollclJ To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DENNIS W. R onnnga citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Overflow-Pipes for Refrigerator-Tanks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which 'Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of a refrigerator car and tank having my improvement applied thereto; Fig. 2, a sectional view of the same taken on the line at x of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a detail sectional view of the overflowpipe on an enlarged scale, taken on the line y y of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a detail plan section taken on the line 2 z of Fig. 3, showing the device for securing the pipe in position; Fig. 5, a front elevation of the same fastening device; and Fig. 6 a detail plan section taken on the line 1) o of Fig. 8.

Like letters refer to like ures of the drawings.

My invention relates to overflow-pipes for refrigerator'tanks, being intended more particularly for use in conjunction with said tanks when applied to refrigerator-cars and the like.

My invention has for its objects to provide means for the escape of the waste water caused by the melting of the ice in the tank after a certain amount of said water has accumulated; to provide means whereby the escape of said water shall not be prevented in cold weather by the freezing of the water in the pipes, and to provide an overflow-pipe, which, fulfilling these conditions, may be readily placed in position and secured there and as readily removed when desired and to these ends my invention consists in certain novel features, which I will now proceed to describe, and then particularly point out in the claims.

. In the drawings, in which I have shown my invention practically carried out in one form, A represents a car body of suitable constructiou, and B a refrigerator-tank arranged therein. This tank is provided with an opening or man-hole, b, by means of which it may be filled with ice, and with an outlet-orifice,

parts in all the fig C, constructed as hereinafter described.

D indicates the overflow-pipe, which extends from the outlet 0 nearly to the top of B, and is supported in any suitable the tank manner. The means preferred, however, is that shown in the drawings, in which D represents a collar or flange screwed upon or otherwise attached to the lower end of the pipe I), and provided with a beveled extension, d, which fits within the correspondingly-beveled seat 0, surrounding the outlet-orifice. One or more supporting brackets or yokcs, E, are provided, through which the overflow-pipe passes, and one of these brackets is provided with an L-shaped slot, 0, to receive a pin, F, which is attached to the pipe, as shown in Figs. I and 5 of the drawings. By rotating the pipe untilthe pin F is in line with the vertical portion of the slot 0, the said pin may be caused to enter the said slot, thus lowering the pipe into position, with the extension (1 resting within the seat c. The pipe may then be rotated until it occupies the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, when the lockingpinf is passed through thelugsf on the bracket 1*] and retains the pipe in position. The portion a of the slot cis preferably not at right angles to the vertical portion-e" thereof, but is inclined slightly downward, as shown in Fig. 3, so that as the pipe Dis rotated to lock the same the lower end of the pipe is forced more firmly into position in the seat 0, in an obvious manner.

It will be observed that when the overflowpipe D is in the position shown in the several figures of the drawings it will e'lt'ecti'ially close the outlctpipe O and prevent the escape of any water from the tank 13. About midway of its length, however, the pipe 1) is provided with a series of apertures, d, by means of which the water in the tank 3, when it reaches the height of these apertures, may escape through the overflow-pipe, in an obvious manner. By reason of this construction the water is prevented from accumlating in too large quantities in the tank. At the same time it is not allowed to escape entirely from the same. When it is desired to empty the tank, it is only necessary to remove the pin f and rotate and lift the pipe I) to free the pin 'F from the slot 6, when the water in the tank will escape through the outlet 0.

In case the invention is applied, as in the construction shown, to a refrigerator-car, the water as it escapes from the overflow-pipe is liable in cold weather to freeze and clog the lower end of the pipe, eventually closing the same entirely and preventing the escape of the water from the tank. In order to obviate this difficulty, I employ the following construction: G indicates a pipe arranged within the pipe D and'snpported thereinin any suitable manner, but preferably in that shown by means ofthe screwsg bearing against the same, and by means of the cap G and funnel G to which it is attached at the upper end. This pipe G extends to the bottom of the overflowpipe D, or, in case an extension, D", ofthe overflow-pipe is employed, to the bottom of this extension, and is provided along its lower extremity with a number of small orifices, 9. Into this pipe hot water may be introduced by means of the funnel G which hot water will pass out through the orifices g and melt the ice which has accumulated around the lower end of the overflow-pipe. Instead of hot water, salt or any other suitable material may be employed. The lower extremity of the pipe G is threaded, as shown at 9 so that in case access cannot be had to the upper end of the pipe G for any reason a hose or pipe may be connected to the lower end of the pipe G, in order that the hot water or other solvent may be introduced from below.

It is obvious that various modifications in the details of construction and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the principle of my invention, and I therefore do not wish to be understood as limiting myself strictly to the precise details hereinbefore set forth, and shown in the drawings.

I am aware of Letters Patent No. 246,439, granted August 30, 1881, to Arnold \V. Zimmerman, and I therefore do not wish. to be understood as claiming anything set forth in said Letters Patent.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the tank B, provided with outlet 0, having beveled seat 0, of the removable overflow-pipe D, having beveled extension (1' to fit within the said seat, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. The combination, with the overflow-pipe D, provided with pin F, of the bracket E, provided with slot 0 and locking-pin f, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

8. The combination, with the refrigeratortank provided with an outlet-orifice having a beveled seat, of the overflowpipe having a beveled extremity to fit said ,seat and apin, F, and the bracket E, having slot 6, with vertical portion 6 and inclined portion 6, and a locking pin, f, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. The combination, with the overflow-pipe of a refrigerator-tank, of a second pipe arranged within the overflow-pipe and provided with apertures at'its lowerend, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. The combination, with the pipe D, of the pipe G, supported therein by means of the screws 9 and cap G, and provided with apertures g at its lower extremity, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

6. The combination, with the overflow-pipe D, of the pipe G, arranged therein and provided at its upper end with a funnel, G or other means for filling the same, and having its lower ends threaded to receive a suitable filling pipe or tube, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

DENNIS w. RIORDAN.

IVitnesses:

LEONARD WA'rso-N, \V. O. CoRLIns. 

